Do you remember those good old days when there was no way to pinpoint the exact location of a vehicle? While this was an inconvenience to many, it was mainly a hassle for businesses. Once you send your product out the warehouse, you had no idea where it was until it reached its destination.

However, times have changed. Now, you can know exactly where the vehicle in question is at any point in time. How? Simple, via GPS trackers! These trackers have been a source of convenience for businesses as well as individuals. This is only true if you know how to pick the correct GPS tracker for the job.

While you would hope that the task it easy, sadly it is not. You might find it confusing if it is your first time buying a GPS tracker.

Don’t worry. We are here to help you out. We will guide you through different tracking devices to ensure that you make an informed decision.

1. The Uses of GPS trackers

GPS tracker usage can be divided into two categories, namely business and personal use. It is important for you to know about both and classify your purpose. This is because the perfect GPS tracker for you is one which is aligned with your need.

When you want a personal GPS tracker, you generally require it for geofencing, navigating and use of maps. But, if you are a business, features like consumption of fuel, driving, and number of inactive hours are also important and sought.

2. What can a GPS tracker do?

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You might think that a GPS tracker can be only used to pinpoint the location of a vehicle. However, there is much more than a GPS tracker can do for you. Here are some of the features delivered by a GPS tracker.

• Pinpointing the exact location of both people and pets and tracking their real-time movements as well.

• Pinpointing the location of vehicles and their movement in real time. This can either comprise one vehicle or an entire fleet . This feature helps in monitoring and prevention against theft.

• Knowing and tracking the position of your products and possessions.

• Observing the consumption of fuel and miles covered by the vehicle. Other maintenance concerns are also monitored.

• Looking at the driving skills of the driver including behavior like speed, patterns of driving, and the art of maneuvering and how long the driver is inactive for.

• Extract data about past performance of the vehicle at some future date. You can also access the places the vehicle has visited previously.

• Setting up geofences. A geofence is setting boundaries, which if crossed, sends notifications to you.

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• You can get notifications about the tracking information through various platforms including emails, notification, and SMS.

3. Differentiating between Different GPS trackers

When you search the market, you will find that GPS trackers are available in different sizes and forms. But, you can broadly categorize them into three types, namely pullers, pushers, and loggers. These options differ in terms of retrieving data as well as methods of storing it.

4. What to consider when choosing a GPS tracker

Here are some of the factors that you need to keep in mind when selecting a GPS tracker.

1. The complexity of the system

The complexity of the systems may differ from one another. Some are quite complex while others are straightforward. The complicated ones may need to be linked to the electrical system of the car. Which tracker is the perfect for you depends on how comfortable are you with dealing with complex systems? If you aren’t, you can always seek professional help.

2. Completeness of Documentation

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Regardless of which type of GPS tracker you use, always make sure it comes with proper and complete documentation. This includes instructions about the installation process. If you don’t pay heed to this consideration, you might end up feeling clueless.

3. The extent of Customer Support

For every product you purchase, you must look at the customer support provided by the company. After all, you would want to make sure that the supplier of the product is reachable at times of need.

4. Additional server

For those of you who wish to purchase a tracker for professional use, you might need a data processing server as well. This is because a GPS tracker collects a variety of data simultaneously. Rather than extracting it in its raw form, it is better to opt for a manufacturer that delivers it processed via a server.

5. Access via mobile

We live in a world where we are more comfortable with mobiles than we are with laptops. This is why it is important to look for a tracker which is accompanied by a mobile application. This should be especially sought after for pusher trackers.

6. Settings of Device

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Every GPS tracker is equipped with a lot of features. You may or may not need these features enabled at all times. You must make sure that the different settings can be easily disabled and enabled at will. Customization is integral for a comfortable experience.

7. Select your channel of purchase

You can either choose to buy from a retail or a wholesale outlet. If you are buying it for personal use, a retailer is a good choice. After all, they are more accessible. However, if you need it for business use and hence want to bulk buy, you can get the best deals in wholesale markets.

8. Have an excellent alert system

One of the most important features of a tracker is that it should keep you updated about your vehicle. This is why it is integral to have a sound alert system. You should be notified in real time of different events. For instance, if the vehicle surpasses the boundaries set by geofencing, your tracker should notify you, whether it be via SMS, email or push notification.

9. Conclusion

We understand that selecting the best GPS hardware is no easy task. Be well informed and the task will become somewhat easier.